Ingredients
- 250 g butter
- 1 cup (220 g) caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2½ cups (375 g) unbleached self-raising flour
- 1 cup (250 ml) milk
- 1 vanilla bean, cut in half lengthways and seeds scraped out
- 300 ml whipping cream
- icing sugar, for dusting
- blueberries, to serve
Mum’s butterfly cakes
When I was growing up my parents held many dinner parties, and I always loved to help with the cooking. Mum would delight her guests with 12-course Cantonesestyle banquets, somewhat curiously completing the meal with an array of very Australian cakes and sweets!
Mum’s butterfly cakes have won the hearts of many over the years – and now her gorgeous grand-daughter Indy shows every sign of following in her grandma’s footsteps…
Method
This recipe makes 30 Butterfly cakes.
With an electric mixer or a wooden spoon, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating each in until well combined.
Add sifted fl our, milk and vanilla and mix until smooth. Spoon mixture into patty tins lined with paper patty cases. Bake towards the top of the oven for about 15–17 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove cakes from patty tins and allow to cool. Slice tops off cooled cakes, and fill cakes with freshly whipped cream.
Carefully cut tops in half and arrange these ‘butterfly wings’ on the cream. Sprinkle a handful of blueberries on and around each cake, then dust with icing sugar before serving.
Submitted byKylie Kwong
Tips and Tricks
Cream often goes to waste if it is forgotten about in the fridge – instead it can be frozen in small freezer safe containers and defrosted when needed.
Store milk in a cool and stable environment in your fridge. If you have space, ideally this would be your top shelves rather than the fridge door, where fluctuating temperatures may shorten the lifespan of your milk.
Milk can also be stored in the freezer for up to 6 weeks, though may separate slightly upon thawing. Use frozen milk in cooking rather than plain drinking and thaw fully in the fridge.
